Washing or disinfecting fibrous materials.



F. L. BARTELT.

WASHING OR DISINFEGTING FIBROUS MATERIALS. APPLICATION FILLED MA Y18, 1907.

Ratented Dec. 8, 1908.

fi azzii J40? aw UNITED srA las PATENT OFFICE.

FRIEDRICH LUDWIG BARTELT, BRISLINGTON, BRISTOLLENGLAND.

WASil-IING OR DISINFEOTING FIBROUS MATERIALS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH LUDWIG BARTELT, soap and chemical manufacturer, a subject of t e King of Great Britain, and resident of 3 Kensington Place, Brislington, Bristol, England, have invented new and useful Improvements Relatin or Disinfecting' Fibrous Materlals, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has referenceto the Washing of linen, woolen, silk and cotton goods such as wearing apparel and unmade piece goods, household linen, etc. By washing is meant the operation or operations such as take place in laundries where goods for the purpose of being cleansed are immersed and agitated in an aqueous washing solution contained in a tank or vessel. The washing alluded to has no reference Whatever to dry cleaning'or disinfecting performed in a closed chamber by means of volatile substances or vapors. The solution used in washing is 'generall heated and contains. saponaceous materia for cleansing the goods and making a lather when the solution is agitated. In

somecases chemicals, spirits, or oils of a.

volatile nature are ,employed in the washing solution. These substances are intended to act on the goods but do not'do so efliciently for various reasons and require the addition of soap for producing-a lather. Moreover, it is not economical to mix the chemicals, spirits, or oils with the rest of the solution.

I have discovered that I can roduce better results by introducing into t e hot aqueous washing solution, a detergent in the form of vapors of volatile substances mixed with air. The action of this mixture will be thoroughlg efficient in attacking the dirt containe without the aid of soap or saponaceous matters which are now employed.

According-to my invention I pass atmospheric .airover the volatile substance which gives off the vapor required so that the air takes up and mixes with the vaporin question. The mixture is then forced into the washing solution which being in agitation it permeates throughout, acting on the goods therein and making when hot a good lather. In the accompanying drawing I have shown insectional elevation, apparatus. for passing atmospheric air over a vapor yielding liquid by means of which the air becomes charged,

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 18,1907.

to Washing in the goods and in forming a lather Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Serial No. 374,511.

and' forcing the same charged with vapor into a washing machine of the ordinary type.

a is a tank within which is a rotating cage for containing the materials to be washed. 1) is a shaft upon which the said cage is mounted. a Y

c is a toothed wheel keyed on the shaft 6.

d is an inlet pipe for water or solution.

e is a steam inlet pipe.

Near the washing machine, preferably on the same base, is an air pump f, driven by means of a crank disk 9 on a shaft h which has a pinion a engaging with the toothed Wheel -c. This arrangement enables the pump and washing machine to work syn- I chronously and stop simultaneously. If

preferred, a rotary instead of a reciprocating pump may be employed. The pump casing is in communication with a receptacle 1 adapted, to contain the vapor giving material. In the present instance a liquid is indicated. This: rec tacle is open to the pump casing at is. an to the atmosphere at Z. Air for feeding the pump is drawn from the inlet-Z over the contents of the receptacle 7', through the pump casing to the inlet valves of the pump cylinder. Thence the charged air ispumped through the delivery valves '17.

n to the pipe 0 bent upwards to a height above the level of the liquor in the washing machine and connected to the pi es which enter the machine at or near t e ottom,

well below the bulk of the liquor in the vessel.

The liquor moreover is preferably maintained constantly in agitation so as to retard the escape of the charged air and vapors.

(giis a discharge cock for the receptacle '9' an r is an overflow to prevent the rece tacle from being overfilled. The race tac e for the vapor yielding substance nee notnecessarily form part of the pump casing as shown but may be arranged separately therefrom if preferred.

The vapor or volatile substance will be se- I lected according to the material being treated and the nature of the treatment in progress; for instance, when articles of vegetable fiber are to be washed, volatile vegetable oils may be used, such as turpentine. Some of these oils have the property of absorbing oxygen from the air wh1ch being again liberated in an active state in the washing solution aids the vapors of the oil in cleansing the goods.

i I other fibrous materials consisting in placing Carbon-tetra-chlorid can be employed in' 1 ing solution while the latter is kept hot and cleansing woolen, hair and silken goods and l in agitation, an organic detergent in the form will be found to be extremely useful in reof vapor mixed with atmospheric air. moving certain stains and grease. Other In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 volatile substances may also be employed. name to this specification in the presence of 1-5 What I claim is: two subscribing witnesses. A process of washing linen, woolen and FRIEDRICH LUDWIG BAR'lEL'I.

Witnesses ALFRED S. BISHOP,

the goods to be washed in an aqueous wash- WALTER F. TAN Y m ing solution and introducing into the wash- 

